Cal Poly to Co-Host Construction Camp for Girls June 21-25

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly, and the Central California Coast Chapter of the National Association for Women in Construction will host “MAGIC” (Mentoring a Girl in Construction) Camp. It runs Monday, June 21 through Friday June 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily in Cal Poly’s Construction Innovations Center.

MAGIC Camp is a unique hands-on, free summer day camp that teaches basic skills of the trades (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, masonry, surveying etc.) and will introduce the professional aspect of construction management, architecture and engineering to young women aged 14-17.

Twenty-four campers will receive a genuine learn by doing experience during their time at camp. They will learn to use hand and power tools, pour and cure cement, wire electrical devices, and learn about heavy equipment and plumbing used on construction job sites. They’ll also receive skills training combined with fun projects that keep their interest and focus throughout each day.

MAGIC Camps’ mission is to introduce and teach girls about the construction industry and provide them with an opportunity to learn in a controlled and neutral environment.

The camps aim to help young women develop a greater self confidence, introduce them to role models in all areas of the construction industry and provide them information about the NAWIC Education Foundation and available scholarships.

Cal Poly Construction Management Professor Audrey Schultz says she is excited about mentoring high school girls and introducing them to the world of construction. “I would like the girls to know that construction is a career option. We will provide the girls with information on the salary and career benefits of working in the trades and going on to a junior college or university to receive a professional degree in construction, design or engineering. They should know that the sky is the limit.”

“This is the first MAGIC camp for our NAWIC Chapter and we are pleased to have the opportunity to conduct our camp at Cal Poly. Cal Poly and the CCCE have been very supportive of the project,” says Denise Riege of the NAWIC. “The camp is financed 100 percent by sponsorships, and the backing from the construction industry has been phenomenal.”

For more information about MAGIC Camp at Cal Poly, contact Audrey Schultz at 805-756-7514.

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